


YOU.

by nygmadaydreams



Category: Gotham (TV), You (TV 2018)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Complicated Relationships, Crossover, F/M, Kidnapping, M/M, Murder, Other, Past Relationship(s), Pining, Platonic Relationships, Running Away, Secret Identity, Torture, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:41:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22585774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nygmadaydreams/pseuds/nygmadaydreams
Summary: Edward runs after Oswald who has left Gotham and disguised himself as Will Bettelheim, a completely new man. There is a problem, however; Will Bettelheim is not the Oswald Cobblepot Edward came looking for.Aka the Gotham/You Crossover no one asked for.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma, Will Bettelheim the Hacker & Joe Goldberg
Comments: 12
Kudos: 61





	1. beginning of the beginning

**Author's Note:**

> i've never written a crossover fic like this before but me and @missymisery got brainstorming after finishing you s2, and after going on for two hours, here is the final result!
> 
> a couple things before we start:  
> \- you might be confused if you haven't watched gotham seasons 1-4 and you season 2  
> \- nost of the fic will be focusing on oswald and edward's relationship  
> \- timeline wise oswald left before the s4 finale, and the majority of the fic will take place during s2 of you  
> \- there will be a lot of sensitive topics, so make sure to read the tags and prepare accordingly! there will be an extra warning in the notes for graphic chapters <3

Edward Nygma despised Los Angeles. It was quite simple, really. Everything in the city was the polar opposite of his comfort zone; the people, the atmosphere, the noise, the weather... He could’ve kept the mental list going for the entirety of his trip there. But it had to be done. A long time ago he’d said that he was ready to do _anything_ for Oswald, and this was definitely the furthest he’d gone.

\---

Oswald had left suddenly and without a warning. Not that he’d really expected Oswald to consult him before going, they weren’t in the best of terms at that point, but still, to leave completely off the grid was something Oswald simply didn’t do. Edward had been confused, angry, frustrated, fighting with himself to figure out whether he wanted to just close the chapter which was Oswald and his complicated relationship, or go after him. Before he had the time to make the decision, however, he’d found himself stuck in Gotham. Any chance of him going after Oswald wiped away by a single lunatic.

The battle in Gotham had been fought. He didn’t give a shit. The whole time he’d only looked for a way to escape, but it was hopeless. The river was filled with mines, the mainland not willing to take them back before they had proved themselves. Jim Gordon was as useless as he’d always been. So Ed had simply hid somewhere he knew he’d be safe and out of the GCPD’s touch. He only resurfaced upon the sounds of megaphones announcing it was over. What a waste of a year.

He’d almost gotten over Oswald at that point, but then mainland released all the held-back mail to Gotham. That’s when his interest awoke; a simple letter written to him in a handwriting he immediately recognized. Oswald’s letter was short, more of a quick note. All he said was that he’d had enough. That he’d left, and didn’t want to be looked for. The letter had been sent only a month after Oswald had left, but it’d been stuck for over a year. Edward was furious.

At first Ed had tried to analyze the note for any clues of possible kidnapping, any potential riddle that would give away Oswald’s location, but the note had been just as simple as it looked surface-level. He took fingerprints and analyzed the postmark. After a bit of digging he found out the letter had been sent from South Dakota. And that was the start of his decade-long manhunt for Oswald Cobblepot.

\---

“What it’ll be?” asked the dark-skinned barista from the opposite side of the counter. Ed moved his gaze from the menus back to the barista and forced a smile on his face.

“Just a coffee. No sugar, a bit of milk.”

“You’re not from around here, are you?” the barista – Calvin, his nametag read – asked with an irritating grin. “Honey, we’re in LA. It’s cream or it’s nothin’.”

“Cream it is,” Edward said and turned away from the counter, leaning against it with his backside. He scanned the surrounding area with his eyes. Anavrin, a high-end grocery store at the heart of Los Angeles with an idiotically “deep” name. Just with a quick glance one could tell it was a try-hard shop. But then again, so was everything else in LA. This little bookshop-café area wasn’t a bit to the side from the other attractions the store had to offer, which was perfect for Edward. He didn’t need any prying eyes.

“And there you go!” Calvin’s voice made Ed snap out of his thoughts. He turned back around and looked at the cup of coffee – he could already tell it was going to be sickly with the amount of cream – and a chocolate chip cookie placed next to it.

“I didn’t o-“

“’Course you didn’t,” Calvin interrupted him and pushed the cookie forward, “new customer treat.”

“...Thank you,” Ed muttered and took his coffee and cookie. He left the situation as fast as possible without splashing coffee on his white shirt. He snuck into a corner and sat down at an empty table, sighing. He’d only been in LA for 2 hours and it was already too much for him. _Just gotta find him and get the hell out_ , he told himself. But how did one locate a single man, a man that had been missing for over eight years at that, in a city with over 4 million people?

When he had left looking for Oswald, he had prepared for maybe a month or two out of Gotham at he most. He knew Oswald. He knew the places he liked and the places he hated, where his enemies lived and what his patterns were. So how was it possible that now, eight years later, he was still on the road and absolutely clueless? Perhaps clueless was too harsh a word. He did have a clue, but it was small and unlikely to be anything but a coincidence. He had spies all over the country, and one of them had located themselves in LA. Two days back Ed had gotten a message telling about a man who looked suspiciously like the notorious Penguin, and Ed had barely taken the time to pack his bags before leaving. Since then, though? No new leads, no messages, no sight of Oswald. And searching the whole of Los Angeles was going to take an eternity if not more.

“That’s a frowny face for someone in Anavrin,” a voice startled Edward who almost dropped his coffee. He looked to his right and located the speaker. A woman, perhaps in her early 30s if even that, reorganizing some books on the shelf next to Edward. She had a kind face with a playful grin when she looked at him. “Haven’t seen you before. You new around here?”

“Mmm,” Ed mumbled and sipped his coffee. He didn’t need any lunch buddies.

“Like reading?” the woman continued, croutching behind the bookcase.

“I suppose so,” Edward said with a tilt of his head.

After a short silence the woman emerged again and extended her hand towards Edward. In it, she held a book with a forest green cover. “I figured you like green,” she said with a laugh and eyed the man at the table and his head-to-toe emerald green assemble. Still hesitant, Ed took the book – more than anything, he was hoping it’d get the woman off his case. The book was one he’d never heard of, so probably a brand new one, and the blurb wasn’t exactly the most boring thing in the world.

“Maybe I’ll give it a try,” Ed said. He’d humor the woman for now. She smiled brightly and circled the bookcase.

She extended her hand again, this time for a handshake. “Love,” she said, “Love Quinn, I mean. I know, kinda on the nose.”

“Ed,” he shook her hand. “You’ve got creative parents.”

Love laughed, “Far from it. Probably just hoped to have some real love in the family.” Her expression quickly changed to one of embarrassment. “Which... was probably TMI since we met a minute ago. Ignore that.”

Edward quirked his brow. Perhaps this Love was actually a decent person. “I can relate,” he said quickly to make the situation less awkward and smiled. “Thanks for the recommendation,” he raised the book, “I’ll give it a read. For real.”

Love’s genuine smile was back. “Let me know what you think,” she said before turning around. “If you become a regular.” With a wink, she left as soon as she’d arrived, walking through the shop into the backroom. Edward was left wondering if he had just met the only nice person in the whole city.


	2. what's will's deal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ches updating a fic within the month it was started in? legendary.  
> i promise things will start to get more nasty soon, stalkering up ahead

Craigslist had been kind to him, and Edward had found himself a small apartment right at the heart of LA on his first day there. Money wasn’t an issue, of course; he’d robbed a dozen banks during his journey all the way to California. What was he supposed to do during all that time in his hands as he waited to hear from any sightings of Oswald? He knew the risks, and was able to avoid them. It had become blatantly clear to him that Gotham wasn’t the only place where the police force was a pure joke.

His apartment was right across the street from Anavrin, the store he’d stumbled into, and it had become his official space for getting intel and simply observing people. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Love was always there to greet him with an excited smile and a new book recommendation. The woman was very likeable, and for someone like Edward, who usually thought nothing positive of common folk, to admit it was a miracle.

And that’s where he was again; sitting in the corner booth perfectly hidden from the customers but able to see all of them through the gap in the shelf full of books. He kept a list of the customers that regulated Anavrin, but so far he hadn’t met anyone worth his time – and, to his frustration, no Oswald. Obviously it wasn’t a surprise that their paths hadn’t crossed in a massive city, but it was still an inconvenience. Nearly two weeks had passed since he first stepped foot into Anavrin and all he’d accomplished was catching the attention of the store manager. Unfortunately Forty Quinn was his only friend’s brother so he couldn’t simply _get rid_ of the man. Therefore, he had to suffer Forty randomly walking up to him to offer some gross health drink or tell him his sparkly jacket was “so lit, bro”.

“—and that’s Ed. You probably don’t wanna interrupt whatever he’s doin’, like, ever.”

Edward, who’d momentarily spaced out and stared at nothing, sharpened his senses when he heard his own name mentioned nearby. He located the speaked, who turned out to be Calvin talking to a man Edward had never seen before. Despite his annoyance, his curiosity peaked as he observed the man. On a quick glance he could’ve passed for Ed’s brother; the unruly dark curls and cold dead stare he was eminating felt just a tad too close to home.

“What do you want?” Ed raised his voice, aiming his question at Calvin.

“Oh. Just, y’know, introducing the regulars to the newbie,” the dark-skinned man said and bumped the stranger on the shoulder. He responded with a smile, one that could’ve fooled someone like Calvin, but one that Ed saw through.

“I don’t know if I’m a regular yet,” Ed forced his voice to be light and amused despite having no interest in the conversation whatsoever. “Hey there, stranger.”

“This is Will,” Calvin pointed at the man. “Ed likes his coffee _with milk_. You ever heard anything so crazy?”

Will chuckled forcefully. Edward appreciated the clear distaste he had for Calvin – it was something he could relate to. “Aaaanyhow,” Calvin said and clasped his hands togehter behind his back, “we’ll leave you be, Mister Milk.” With that, he turned and gestured for Will to follow. Edward side-eyed the two of them as they walked into the backroom. He noted that Will’s eyes followed him just as quizically as his own did.

As soon as they were out of his sight, Edward turned back to the table and whipped out the small notebook he always carried with him. He flipped to a blank page and clicked his pen open. ‘ _Will ?????, new employee. Seems a little fishy. Keep observing. Weirdo?_ ’ He wasn’t satisfied with the entry, but it was all he had to go with. Especially because he heard footsteps coming his way at that moment and soon someone already interrupted his peace again. This time, though, it was the exact person he’d been waiting for; one of his trusty spies. The young woman crashed into the chair and popped her bubblegum.

“Sup,” she greeted him.

“I hope for your own sake that you brought me here for a good reason, Red” Edward said, subconsciously starting to sound like a disappointed father. “If I get any more blurry pictures I swear to-“

“Chill, Mr. Nygma Sir,” Red said in a mocking tone and reached into her leather jacket. She pulled out a messy stack of printed out photos and slammed them onto the table. “This good enough?” Edward reached for the photos and spread them out on the otherwise empty table. He pushed his glasses in place and examined them. Immediately, he knew they had hit a jackpot. Even though most of the photos were taken from a bad angle, one was a perfect side profile. And boy, was that side profile enough to make him want to weep.

Oswald had certainly changed. He was still scrawny and pale, but his hair was a messy nest of dirty blonde and much shorter than it had been earlier. Besides, he had facial hair which was something Edward had never even considered on his Oswald, but he had to admit it looked good. He was as far away from the iconic tailored suits as one could be, instead dressed in a lazy t-shirt and hoodie combo. He was standing in front of a burger joint and slurping on a purple slushie – in the end some things never changed...

“Where is this?” he asked, still staring at the photo now in his hands. “And when?”

“Like ten miles south. I snapped the photos last week,” Red said and started reorganizing the photos. Edward slapped her hand away and pulled the photos to himself like an unco-operative child. Red rolled her eyes so hard they disappeared into her skull. “Where’s my money?”

Edward sighed and dropped the photos in order to find his wallet. He pulled out a small, neat stack of $100 dollar bills. “For your service and actually doing something worthwhile for once,” he said as he handed the money to Red. She stuck it in her pocket roughly and stood up, nearly flipping the feeble chair over.

“Cool,” she said and ruffled her pixie cut. She popped another bubble with her lips and smirked. “Have fun with those. I’ll send ya the address to that burger place in a few.”

“Deal,” Edward nodded with a confident grin to match hers.

Red nodded a farewell and disappeared out of the store as soon as she had arrived. Edward looked back at the photo of Oswald. It really was Oswald, right? Only a few miles from here? He would get him back and all would turn out splendid. They’d be back in Gotham by the end of the week. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he checked the message out already knowing it’d be from Red. She hadn’t lied; the burgeria was seven miles south from his house. He could get there in no time. Of course, it was unlikely that Oswald was just living in front of that burger place – even if he looked like trailer trash with his new style – but it was a place to start from. That was better than anything he’d had for months.

“Damn, dawg! Was that your GF?!” Edward almost jumped out of his skin, arm twitching dangerously close to grabbing the gun hidden in his waistband. He quickly snapped his head and looked at Forty, who had snuck closeby without Edward noticing a thing. Ed quickly gathered the photos before the man could mention anything about them, and shook his head vigorously.

“Obviously not. She’s a kid,” he said with slight disgust. It was a lie, Red looked like a teen but was in her mid-twenties – still a lot younger than Edward – but it was easier to explain a platonic relative-like relationship than anything Forty had in mind.

“You gave her cash, though,” Forty furrowed his brows, but his expression quickly switched. “Oooh! Bro, you’re her sugar daddy? I am, not judging at all. That’s so valid. Let the world be your oyster.”

“No!” Edward flipped, nearly shouting already. His cheeks were burning up and he wanted nothing more than stick the barrel of his gun down the other man’s throat.

“Forty!” Oh. Oh sweet Love. Edward thanked all gods he could think of on the spot when the woman emerged and grabbed her brother’s arm. “You bullyin’ customers again?”

“This is a conversation,” Forty said defensively.

“Go converse with Will. He could use your help,” Love replied with an annoyed smile only a sibling could pull off.

Forty accepted defeat and began dragging himself away, but not before saying “rad shirt, dude!” to Edward. Yeah, maybe it was a little rad, but Ed didn’t need to hear it from a hobo wearing a godforsaken yukata.

“Sorry about that,” Love smiled apologetically. “He just wants to be friends.”

“I don’t really do friends,” Ed said sourly. “Nothing personal.”

“You should’ve seen him this morning when he saw Will. The boy was ecstatic,” Love said and laughed in a way that sounded like a million bells ringing in the wind.

“What’s that guy’s deal, anyway? The Will?”

“Oh, he’s just... a new guy. Nothing special,” Love shrugged nonchalantly.

“Everybody seems to like him,” Edward said. It wasn’t a question, but Love was still quick to reply.

“He’s sweet. Funny. Pretty handsome. What’s not to like?”

“Oh, so you’ve got a thing for him.”

“Pffft!” Love slapped Edward on the chest playfully. “Don’t be crazy! We literally just met a few days a go!”

“Love works in mysterious ways,” Ed said, feeling the irony pierce through his heart as he realized he was still squeezing the photos of Oswald in his hands. “But workplace romances don’t usually end well. Speaking from experience...” _Kristen... Oswald... What a joke._

“What a poet you’ve become,” it was Love’s turn to tease.

“What can I say?” Ed forced a grin on his face. “Maybe it’s the Los Angeles magic.” _God, he fucking hated this city._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no one:  
> me: just makes forty a dudebro. hes baby >:-(


End file.
